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Help with kitty litter issues

By Merry Carol Porter VCA All Pets Animal Hospital

Posted:
12/31/2012 03:37:07 PM MST

Updated:
12/31/2012 03:38:26 PM MST

(Courtesy photo)

Why is my cat not using the litter box?

There can be numerous reasons for a cat to avoid using the litter box. The first step is to visit your veterinarian to rule out medical causes such as a urinary tract infection, painful bladder inflammation, stones, etc. Once a medical reason has been ruled out, many changes can be made that will increase the likelihood that your cat will use the box.

How often do I need to scoop the litter box?

Think about how much we hate using dirty portable toilets. Cats are the same way. If the litter box is too dirty, your kitty may simply decide to go somewhere cleaner. The normal recommendation is to scoop the litter box once daily and change the litter out entirely every 1-2 weeks.

Also, we tend to put too much litter in the box. Usually no more than about 1 inch is required. Any more than that and your kitty may feel like he or she is sinking in quicksand. Think how disconcerting that would be for us if every time we had to go to the bathroom we were not sure how far down we would sink.

How many litter boxes should I have?

Cat aggression can be very subtle. Many times there is conflict among cats in a house and the parents do not even know it. Sometimes the aggression can be a subtle as a mean look or sitting in an area that would block access to prized resources, such as food or litter boxes. For that reason, the number of litter boxes is important, but multiple locations are essential as well.

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There is a normal rule of thumb of the number of cats in a house plus one extra. So if there are two cats, then three litter boxes are recommended, but do not forget location.

They should all be placed to allow some privacy, but not be too difficult to access. There should be at least one on each level on the house, especially if there are kittens or older cats in the house. For example, a kitty with arthritis may decide it is not worth the trouble to walk down the basement stairs to get into the litter box, or a kitten may have to go before reaching the litter box after a long trek.

What about covers?

Some cats do not mind a cover on the litter box, but others may feel constrained. If your cat is using the litter box well with a cover, great! If your cat is not using the litter box consistently, try taking off the cover.

Also, larger or older cats may not feel like they have enough room even with a large litter box. Try using a plastic storage container such as the kind you buy to store sweaters under a bed.

VCA All Pets Animal Hospital is a full service veterinary practice seeing general medicine and emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All Pets has been part of the community since 1972 and is accredited by the American Animal Association. Doctors provide care to dogs, cats, ferrets and pocket pets. Services include wellness care, preventative care, general and advanced dentistry, surgery, X-ray, laboratory, boarding, grooming and acupuncture. Visit vcaallpetsboulder.com or go to Facebook.

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